Tonight, the last night of my forties, we decided to have dessert for dinner. Debs idea, all her fault. So I cooked up an Australian Speciality...Golden Syrup Dumplings. Dedicated to our resident backpacker, Deborah.
2 cups water
1/2 cup golden syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup self raising flour
30g butter, cubed
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
Heat syrup ingredients in frypan slowly till simmering, ensuring sugar dissolves and it doesn't burn.
Rub butter into the flour till like breadcrums, add egg and milk, and mix gently to a dough. Divide into 8 sections and gently roll into balls. Don't over handle the dough or they get tough.
Drop balls of dough into simmering syrup, simmer 5 minutes, then turn dumplings and simmer 5 minutes more.
Serve with ice cream or cream. Ice cream is better in my opinion.
Saturday, 2 January 2010
Wednesday, 9 December 2009
Secret Family Recipe...(Don't tell anyone!)
Mango Chutney
This is a bit of a Christmas tradition here in North Queensland. We eat it with our Christmas ham and make it around this time of year, when the mangoes come on. This is my grandmothers recipe. I am posting this for Jenny. Let me know how it goes Jen!
4 kg green mango flesh (texture of potatoes), sliced then pulsed in food processor till bits are the size you like
4 kg sugar
500g raisins, pulsed in food processor*
250g garlic cloves (about 4 knobs), pulsed in food processor
500g dates, pulsed in food processor
500g crystallised ginger, pulsed in food processor
250g salt , err on less some batches can taste a bit salty
1.8 litres brown (malt) vinegar
8 - 10 birdeye chillis
Makes about 16 assorted jars.
Prepare jars by washing in hot soapy water and heating in 120 degree oven about 30 minutes. Boil lids for 10 minutes. Do this while chutney is simmering.
Put all ingredients into a big stock pot. If you aren't sure if yours is big enough make a half recipe, chances are it isn't. I need to do this in two batches.
Bring to boil slowly then simmer about an hour. Test by putting a teaspoon full on a saucer and popping in freezer for a couple of minutes. If you can run a finger through it when cold and it leaves a gap then it is jelled and done. Bottle while still hot. Invert bottles for a minute after putting lids on then up the right way to cool. If they have those poppy lids they will eventually pop on. Will keep in the pantry at least 5 years.
(Hint, you can buy jam funnels at House, these make it SO much easier to bottle jam, though are about $15. You need to sterilise that too, and the ladle etc.
* If you don't have a food processor, put on a good dvd and make yourself comfortable. You will be chopping for a long time.
This is a bit of a Christmas tradition here in North Queensland. We eat it with our Christmas ham and make it around this time of year, when the mangoes come on. This is my grandmothers recipe. I am posting this for Jenny. Let me know how it goes Jen!
4 kg green mango flesh (texture of potatoes), sliced then pulsed in food processor till bits are the size you like
4 kg sugar
500g raisins, pulsed in food processor*
250g garlic cloves (about 4 knobs), pulsed in food processor
500g dates, pulsed in food processor
500g crystallised ginger, pulsed in food processor
250g salt , err on less some batches can taste a bit salty
1.8 litres brown (malt) vinegar
8 - 10 birdeye chillis
Makes about 16 assorted jars.
Prepare jars by washing in hot soapy water and heating in 120 degree oven about 30 minutes. Boil lids for 10 minutes. Do this while chutney is simmering.
Put all ingredients into a big stock pot. If you aren't sure if yours is big enough make a half recipe, chances are it isn't. I need to do this in two batches.
Bring to boil slowly then simmer about an hour. Test by putting a teaspoon full on a saucer and popping in freezer for a couple of minutes. If you can run a finger through it when cold and it leaves a gap then it is jelled and done. Bottle while still hot. Invert bottles for a minute after putting lids on then up the right way to cool. If they have those poppy lids they will eventually pop on. Will keep in the pantry at least 5 years.
(Hint, you can buy jam funnels at House, these make it SO much easier to bottle jam, though are about $15. You need to sterilise that too, and the ladle etc.
* If you don't have a food processor, put on a good dvd and make yourself comfortable. You will be chopping for a long time.
Monday, 7 December 2009
Smoked Salmon with Avocado Salsa and Prawns
This recipe is attributed to Kaye and she posted it in Best Recipes.com.au. I don't know Kaye but her last name isn't mentioned. This is a very yummy starter so thank you Kaye!
It serves 8 as an starter.
500g smoked salmon (but I used 330 g and that was plenty, Kaye must love the stuff!)
16 small cooked prawns
Salsa:
3 medium roma tomoatoes, seeded and finely chopped
2 large avocadoes, finely chopped
1 small (80g) red onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper
Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh chives
salt and pepper
Line 8 little rammekin dishes (about 1/3 cup) with plastic wrap making sure there is about 3cm above the edge. (Kaye says to use muffin tins, I chose the rammekins)
Comine all the salsa ingredients and mix gently.
Trim a slice of smoked salmon slightly larger than the base of a rammekin.
Top with 1 tablespoon of salsa and top with salmon trimmings.
Top with another tablespoon of salsa, and cover top with salmon. This should fill a rammekin.
Fold over the plastic wrap to seal.
Repeat till all rammekins are used.
Eat up any leftover bits as they are delicious!
Put in the fridge several hours or overnight.
Combine all the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well.
Just before serving turn out salad, it should hold its shape, onto a plate.
Add two prawns, peeled with tails intact to the top, drizzle with the dressing, making a few drops around as well to look pretty.
Serve and enjoy!
It serves 8 as an starter.
500g smoked salmon (but I used 330 g and that was plenty, Kaye must love the stuff!)
16 small cooked prawns
Salsa:
3 medium roma tomoatoes, seeded and finely chopped
2 large avocadoes, finely chopped
1 small (80g) red onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper
Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh chives
salt and pepper
Line 8 little rammekin dishes (about 1/3 cup) with plastic wrap making sure there is about 3cm above the edge. (Kaye says to use muffin tins, I chose the rammekins)
Comine all the salsa ingredients and mix gently.
Trim a slice of smoked salmon slightly larger than the base of a rammekin.
Top with 1 tablespoon of salsa and top with salmon trimmings.
Top with another tablespoon of salsa, and cover top with salmon. This should fill a rammekin.
Fold over the plastic wrap to seal.
Repeat till all rammekins are used.
Eat up any leftover bits as they are delicious!
Put in the fridge several hours or overnight.
Combine all the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well.
Just before serving turn out salad, it should hold its shape, onto a plate.
Add two prawns, peeled with tails intact to the top, drizzle with the dressing, making a few drops around as well to look pretty.
Serve and enjoy!
Monday, 30 November 2009
Cheats Chicken Pasta
I made this last night out of what was in the cupboard. I call it cheats because it uses tinned stuff, but sometimes cheating is a good thing. It was searingly hot yesterday and my face was swollen with some allergy so cooking was not high on my list.
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (optional for the sooks)
1 tablespoon oil
1 tin Campbells Cream of Chicken Soup (or any cream of something soup would work too)
half soup can milk
1 jar hot taco sauce (or mild or medium)
1/3 taco jar water
6 - 8 mushrooms, sliced
handful baby spinach leaves (had them in the fridge - frozen peas would be a second choice)
chopped leftover cooked chicken meat
2 cups pasta spirals
Boil pasta, drain. Heat oil and fry up onion till soft, then add garlic and jalapeno. When all delicious looking, add mushrooms and fry till they are just softening up. Then add can of soup, half a can of milk, taco sauce and third jar of water (shake up to get all of the sauce). Stir together and heat till simmering, add chicken meat and spinach.
Use as a pasta sauce or turn into a pasta bake by plonking into a square pyrex dish and covering with equal parts soft bread crumbs* and grated cheese. About 3/4 cup of each is about right.
* Wizz crust of bread in the food processor and store crumbs in the freezer. Then they are always ready for crunchy topping, rissoles, meatloaf and stuffings.
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (optional for the sooks)
1 tablespoon oil
1 tin Campbells Cream of Chicken Soup (or any cream of something soup would work too)
half soup can milk
1 jar hot taco sauce (or mild or medium)
1/3 taco jar water
6 - 8 mushrooms, sliced
handful baby spinach leaves (had them in the fridge - frozen peas would be a second choice)
chopped leftover cooked chicken meat
2 cups pasta spirals
Boil pasta, drain. Heat oil and fry up onion till soft, then add garlic and jalapeno. When all delicious looking, add mushrooms and fry till they are just softening up. Then add can of soup, half a can of milk, taco sauce and third jar of water (shake up to get all of the sauce). Stir together and heat till simmering, add chicken meat and spinach.
Use as a pasta sauce or turn into a pasta bake by plonking into a square pyrex dish and covering with equal parts soft bread crumbs* and grated cheese. About 3/4 cup of each is about right.
* Wizz crust of bread in the food processor and store crumbs in the freezer. Then they are always ready for crunchy topping, rissoles, meatloaf and stuffings.
Saturday, 10 October 2009
Use It Up Thai Red Curry
The other night I had some leftover BBQ chicken and the end of the week veges in the crisper to use up. So I made this Thai Red Curry. It is not very authentic but it tastes good! The ingredients will vary according to your crisper and leftover situation.
meat - I use whatever is available or if I am making it for posh I use 500g chicken thigh fillets, 500g mixed seafood, 300g beef strips, tin of chick peas or block of hard tofu
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon oil to fry the onion in
1/2 tin Maesri thai red curry paste (this is the real stuff, don't substitute. It is also the cheapest way to buy it. When Jess did her Thai Cooking course in Sydney this is the one they recommended. They also said you should use the whole tin, but I don't recommend that unless you want your tongue to explode)
3 to 4 cups assorted chopped vegetables to your taste. In this house they are usually red pepper, celery, carrot, peas, mushrooms and spinach.
tin of coconut cream or milk. If your dietician is giving you a hard time about saturated fats, use low fat evaporated milk and 1 teaspoon coconut essence. This is what we did.
1 cup chicken stock
salt/pepper to taste. Or Vegeta or vegetable stock powder.
Heat the oil in large frypan and fry onion till softened and sweet. Add the curry paste and fry it for a minute or so to release the flavours.
If you are adding raw meat, add now and brown. If not add vegetables and stir fry till well coated with curry.
Add the coconut milk and stock if using, just the stock if you are not.
Cover and simmer till veges are nearly cooked.
If adding cooked leftover meat or seafood, add and simmer a couple minutes more.
If adding evaporated milk and essence, add now.
If you like you can thicken with 1 tbs cornflour mixed with a little of the milk at this stage.
If you are adding spinach add now so that it is just wilted when you serve.
Serve with rice.
Makes lots and the leftovers are good for torturing your work collegues with when you reheat at work for next days lunch.
meat - I use whatever is available or if I am making it for posh I use 500g chicken thigh fillets, 500g mixed seafood, 300g beef strips, tin of chick peas or block of hard tofu
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon oil to fry the onion in
1/2 tin Maesri thai red curry paste (this is the real stuff, don't substitute. It is also the cheapest way to buy it. When Jess did her Thai Cooking course in Sydney this is the one they recommended. They also said you should use the whole tin, but I don't recommend that unless you want your tongue to explode)
3 to 4 cups assorted chopped vegetables to your taste. In this house they are usually red pepper, celery, carrot, peas, mushrooms and spinach.
tin of coconut cream or milk. If your dietician is giving you a hard time about saturated fats, use low fat evaporated milk and 1 teaspoon coconut essence. This is what we did.
1 cup chicken stock
salt/pepper to taste. Or Vegeta or vegetable stock powder.
Heat the oil in large frypan and fry onion till softened and sweet. Add the curry paste and fry it for a minute or so to release the flavours.
If you are adding raw meat, add now and brown. If not add vegetables and stir fry till well coated with curry.
Add the coconut milk and stock if using, just the stock if you are not.
Cover and simmer till veges are nearly cooked.
If adding cooked leftover meat or seafood, add and simmer a couple minutes more.
If adding evaporated milk and essence, add now.
If you like you can thicken with 1 tbs cornflour mixed with a little of the milk at this stage.
If you are adding spinach add now so that it is just wilted when you serve.
Serve with rice.
Makes lots and the leftovers are good for torturing your work collegues with when you reheat at work for next days lunch.
Friday, 18 September 2009
Prawn Qeusadillas
Quesadillas de Camarones
This recipe is from Pioneer Woman Cooks, my favourite food porn website. Translated into Australian by me. We had these last week and they were delish. Quick as well.
8 Flour tortillas
500g raw prawn meat
1 cup taco sauce
1 large onion, chopped
1 red capsicum (could subsitute other veges about 1 cup per capsicum)
1 green capsicum (could substitute other veges but capsicum is the authentic flavour)
2 cups cheese, grated
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
Pour taco sauce over prawns. Set aside. All day if necessary, though an hour is enough.
Chop vegetables into large pieces.
Heat frypan over high heat and add olive oil.
Cook vegetables over high heat until they start to get brown/black.
Remove from frypan and set aside. Return frypan to high heat, then dump in the prawns with the sauce. Cook, stirring only occasionally, until prawns look opaque. Add in a little water if the sauce gets dry.
Remove from pan and chop into bite-size pieces.
In a separate skillet, heat butter. Place a tortilla in the skillet, then layer on ingredients: cheese, vegetables, and shrimp. Top with a little more cheese and a second tortilla. Cook on both sides, adding butter before flipping to the other side so the tortilla isn’t overly dry.Remove from skillet and slice into wedges. Serve with rice, beans, salsa, sour cream, guacamole—whatever you’d like!
This recipe is from Pioneer Woman Cooks, my favourite food porn website. Translated into Australian by me. We had these last week and they were delish. Quick as well.
8 Flour tortillas
500g raw prawn meat
1 cup taco sauce
1 large onion, chopped
1 red capsicum (could subsitute other veges about 1 cup per capsicum)
1 green capsicum (could substitute other veges but capsicum is the authentic flavour)
2 cups cheese, grated
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
Pour taco sauce over prawns. Set aside. All day if necessary, though an hour is enough.
Chop vegetables into large pieces.
Heat frypan over high heat and add olive oil.
Cook vegetables over high heat until they start to get brown/black.
Remove from frypan and set aside. Return frypan to high heat, then dump in the prawns with the sauce. Cook, stirring only occasionally, until prawns look opaque. Add in a little water if the sauce gets dry.
Remove from pan and chop into bite-size pieces.
In a separate skillet, heat butter. Place a tortilla in the skillet, then layer on ingredients: cheese, vegetables, and shrimp. Top with a little more cheese and a second tortilla. Cook on both sides, adding butter before flipping to the other side so the tortilla isn’t overly dry.Remove from skillet and slice into wedges. Serve with rice, beans, salsa, sour cream, guacamole—whatever you’d like!
Spag Bol
This is a special request for Leanne. Hi Leanne, good luck with the recipe!
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic (or more depending on taste, no such thing as too much in this house)
500g minced beef
1 OXO beef stock cube
2 heaped tablespoons tomato paste
1 tin tomatoes
squirt of sweet chilli sauce
splosh of red wine (optional, I don't always do this)
1 tomato tin of water stirred with the spoon you measured the tomato paste with
Heat onion in a large frypan on medium heat. Fry onion till soft and golden and has released its sweet flavour. Stir it constantly while you do this so it doesn't burn. Add the crushed or grated garlic and stir fry quickly for a minute, then add the mince and stir fry that till it is browned off and crumbly. Keep chopping at the big lumps till it looks like mince should. I use an egg slice for this bit. Then add the crumbled stock cube and fry that off for a minute. Then add the tomato paste and mix that all together for another minute to release the flavours. Then add the tomatoes, sauce, wine if using, and the water. Add a teaspoon of sugar if you are not using the chilli sauce to soften the acidity of the tomatoes. If you have fresh basil and oregano, add a handful of each chopped up. Don't bother with dried herbs, they smell like dust, though a dash of rosemary doesn't hurt.Now lower the heat and simmer gently for AT LEAST AN HOUR!!! This is another secret. Most people think spag bol is a quick and easy after work meal. It isn't, it is a slow simmered stew and this really helps the flavours develop. Make a big pot on a weekend and freeze half. This recipe doubles well. Serve over boiled pasta and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. The real stuff please, from the chill cabinet. Enjoy!!!!
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic (or more depending on taste, no such thing as too much in this house)
500g minced beef
1 OXO beef stock cube
2 heaped tablespoons tomato paste
1 tin tomatoes
squirt of sweet chilli sauce
splosh of red wine (optional, I don't always do this)
1 tomato tin of water stirred with the spoon you measured the tomato paste with
Heat onion in a large frypan on medium heat. Fry onion till soft and golden and has released its sweet flavour. Stir it constantly while you do this so it doesn't burn. Add the crushed or grated garlic and stir fry quickly for a minute, then add the mince and stir fry that till it is browned off and crumbly. Keep chopping at the big lumps till it looks like mince should. I use an egg slice for this bit. Then add the crumbled stock cube and fry that off for a minute. Then add the tomato paste and mix that all together for another minute to release the flavours. Then add the tomatoes, sauce, wine if using, and the water. Add a teaspoon of sugar if you are not using the chilli sauce to soften the acidity of the tomatoes. If you have fresh basil and oregano, add a handful of each chopped up. Don't bother with dried herbs, they smell like dust, though a dash of rosemary doesn't hurt.Now lower the heat and simmer gently for AT LEAST AN HOUR!!! This is another secret. Most people think spag bol is a quick and easy after work meal. It isn't, it is a slow simmered stew and this really helps the flavours develop. Make a big pot on a weekend and freeze half. This recipe doubles well. Serve over boiled pasta and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. The real stuff please, from the chill cabinet. Enjoy!!!!
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